Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2022 to Question 15187 on Kickstart Scheme, what the total number of work placements provided by the Kickstart Scheme was as of 15 November 2022.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As of 15 November 2022, over 163,000 Kickstart jobs had been started by young people.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of young people aged 18 to 24 (a) not working or (b) looking for a job in the North East.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Through Jobcentre Plus, the Department of Work and Pensions is helping young people to find the right support, education or training that will ultimately lead to sustained employment opportunities and career progression. The DWP Youth Offer provides individually tailored work coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are in the Universal Credit Intensive Work Search group. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work, and Youth Hubs across Great Britain. We have extended the DWP Youth Offer to 2025 and expanded eligibility to include 16 and 17-year-olds, in addition to 18- to 24-year-olds, who are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work
We currently have a network of Youth Hubs across North East England which bring together employment support from a Jobcentre Plus work coach and place-based support from local partnerships to help young people into work. The support offered in a Hub is dependent on local needs, but examples include skills, training, and employment provision, alongside a range of dedicated support services such as mental health, housing and debt management delivered by local partners. Through the Kickstart Scheme we saw over 8,000 Kickstart jobs started by young people in the North East.
Core skills are fundamental in securing, retaining, and progressing in work. DWP is delivering a comprehensive package of support for young people in collaboration with the Department for Education and National Careers Service in England, the Devolved Administrations, and other partners. This Government has invested in apprenticeships, vocational and basic skills training, alongside careers advice and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). SWAP opportunities link skills/employability training with guaranteed interviews and real vacancies – providing a routeway into work for young people. Whilst many opportunities are entry level, they often offer good career pathways and in work progression.
The Job Help campaign offers job search advice and showcases priority sectors and job vacancies to help young people successfully find work. The Job Help website also provides help to get work experience and signposting to initiatives such as Access to work.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to address rising economic inactivity among young people aged 16 to 24.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The government is committed to delivering targeted support for all young people, no matter what their start in life or the challenges they face, to give them the best chance of getting into and progressing in work.
While there has been an increase in economic inactivity among young people, this is largely been driven by an increase in young people in full time education. As part of our work to support young people we regularly assess their situation and develop support which best serves their needs in the moment, as we did when we developed the Kickstart Scheme with the aim of protecting young people from the scarring effects of long-term unemployment.
Youth employability coaches who support young people with multiple barriers in to work already have the flexibility to agree with the young person up to six weeks, in work support and through the in-work progression offer we will also be looking at how we can support young people who are working to progress and develop their careers.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of how the number of finally unplaced young people at the end of the 2022 university admission round will compare to years prior to the covid-19 outbreak; if she will make it her policy to (a) fund additional and specific careers guidance and pastoral support, (b) make available an additional year of full further education funding, (c) provide additional access provision in Higher Education and (d) undertake any other measures needed to support young people in that position; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) operates as an independent charity and is separate from the government. The department will continue to work closely with UCAS, schools, colleges, awarding organisations, and the higher education (HE) sector to support the 2022 intake of students, so they can go on to their next step in life, whether that is university, further training, or work.
In November 2021, my right hon. Friend, the former Minister for Higher and Further Education, wrote to Vice Chancellors to recognise the hard work and dedication that the sector has shown to students throughout the 2021 and 2022 admissions cycles. The former Minister asked that additional resilience is built into strategies for the 2022 HE admissions cycle. HE sector bodies were engaged through the HE Taskforce to commend them on their efforts to date and to ask that they continue to put students first.
In June 2022, UCAS reported that 281,500 UK 18-year-olds were holding a firm offer, up 7,000 on last year and the highest on record. UCAS expect more students than in previous years to gain a place at their firm choice institution. It expects that on A level and T Level Results Day the majority of students are likely to be confirmed at their firm choice. However, it is important to note that the exact numbers will not be known until 18 August, A level and T Level Results Day.
If students do not get the required grades, their preferred HE provider may still offer them a place. In the first instance, students are encouraged to talk to their school or college, or to their preferred university, who may be able to offer some flexibility. Students can also seek advice from the Exam Results Helpline run by the National Careers Service. UCAS will help thousands of students to find places through Clearing or explore other options once they have received their grades and predict that over 30,000 courses will be available. Last year, 56,225 students (10%) entered university via Clearing.
While HE opens many doors for those who study at this level, it is by no means the right option for everyone, including those with the highest grades. There are multiple options for students to progress, including HE but also traineeships, T Levels, apprenticeships, the Kickstart scheme, and higher technical qualifications.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether UCAS plans to analyse its data to track young people who (a) receive lower A Level grades in the 2021-22 academic year than predicted as a result of their academic performance having been adversely affected by lockdown and other restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of covid-19 during 2020 and 2021 and (b) will consequently be without any Higher Education place at the end of the 2022 admission round; what discussions she has had with UCAS on steps to take to support young people in that position; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) operates as an independent charity and is separate from the government. The department will continue to work closely with UCAS, schools, colleges, awarding organisations, and the higher education (HE) sector to support the 2022 intake of students, so they can go on to their next step in life, whether that is university, further training, or work.
In November 2021, my right hon. Friend, the former Minister for Higher and Further Education, wrote to Vice Chancellors to recognise the hard work and dedication that the sector has shown to students throughout the 2021 and 2022 admissions cycles. The former Minister asked that additional resilience is built into strategies for the 2022 HE admissions cycle. HE sector bodies were engaged through the HE Taskforce to commend them on their efforts to date and to ask that they continue to put students first.
In June 2022, UCAS reported that 281,500 UK 18-year-olds were holding a firm offer, up 7,000 on last year and the highest on record. UCAS expect more students than in previous years to gain a place at their firm choice institution. It expects that on A level and T Level Results Day the majority of students are likely to be confirmed at their firm choice. However, it is important to note that the exact numbers will not be known until 18 August, A level and T Level Results Day.
If students do not get the required grades, their preferred HE provider may still offer them a place. In the first instance, students are encouraged to talk to their school or college, or to their preferred university, who may be able to offer some flexibility. Students can also seek advice from the Exam Results Helpline run by the National Careers Service. UCAS will help thousands of students to find places through Clearing or explore other options once they have received their grades and predict that over 30,000 courses will be available. Last year, 56,225 students (10%) entered university via Clearing.
While HE opens many doors for those who study at this level, it is by no means the right option for everyone, including those with the highest grades. There are multiple options for students to progress, including HE but also traineeships, T Levels, apprenticeships, the Kickstart scheme, and higher technical qualifications.
Asked by: Mark Eastwood (Conservative - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people continued to receive earnings from employment after their Kickstart Scheme job ended; and how many organisations employed young people on that scheme.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Throughout the duration of the Kickstart scheme, over 30,000 employers took on a young person, providing them with the opportunity to gain experience that would improve their chances of progressing to find long-term, sustainable work. Essential to this effort has been employers, including B&M retail, Superdrug, McColls, JD Sports and CDS Superstores, who were the top recruiters, taking over 8,000 Kickstart participants between them. As of the 4th July, around 30,000 young people had yet to complete their Kickstart jobs.
As of May 2022, around 7 in 10 people were in paid employment 10 months after starting their Kickstart job. This figure is subject to revision and it includes participants who left their Kickstart Scheme job in less than six months.
The Kickstart evaluation will continue to assess the longer-term outcomes for Kickstart participants after they have completed their six-month jobs, the fieldwork for the commissioned evaluation will continue until at least 2023. We will publish the findings once complete.
Notes section:
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme. The information provided on the number of employers is based on PAYE numbers, if an employer has more than on PAYE, they may be included in this figure more than once. In addition, the number quoted for young people in paid employment is based on those whose earnings are reported via RTI so does not include some groups such as the self-employed.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart placements have (a) been advertised and (b) commenced by young people in Wakefield constituency in the last year.
Answered by Chloe Smith
As of 27 June 2022, 420 jobs had been advertised and 220 had been commenced by young people in the Wakefield constituency.
As of 27 June 2022 nationally, there have been over 163,200 Kickstart jobs started by young people. The last Kickstart jobs were started by young people on 31 March 2022, and we expect the number of starts to increase further as employers report commencement of employment.
Notes section:
We have previously published the number of jobs approved and advertised as of 31 January 2022, here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-01-31/114956. At that point, over 235,000 jobs had been advertised and over 305,000 had been approved. The Kickstart Scheme has now closed to employer applications and, as of March 2022, all approved jobs proceeding to the advertisement stage, have been advertised. As such, these totals will not increase further.
Attached are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency. The figures used are correct as of the 27 June 2022 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.
It is important to note that the information provided shows the location of the job not the home location of the young person who has started the job. In some cases, employers will report the address of their head office rather than the precise location of the job where the young person is working.
Jobs made available (advertised) and job starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs, these are included in our national total but are not included in our geographic breakdown. Also included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location.
The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways. This is generally because, over time, some previously approved jobs were removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.
Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the impact of her Department's policies to help people under 25 get into work on levels of youth unemployment in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department launched the Plan for Jobs as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes DWP’s Youth Offer and the Kickstart Scheme which are targeted at supporting young people aged under 25 to find employment.
The DWP Youth Offer provides intensive Work Coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 on Universal Credit and in the Intensive Work Search group. It includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with complex needs and additional barriers, and over 150 Youth Hubs across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Since the Kickstart Scheme’s launch in September 2020 over 163,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. We know that young people have been hardest hit by the economic impact of the pandemic and are delighted that employers up and down the country have made over 235,000 jobs available for them to apply to. The final Kickstart job starts took place on 31st March 2022 and the last jobs will come to an end on 30th September 2022.
The Department has a range of evaluation activities in train to assess the impact these policies on young people, in particular in relation to the department’s evaluation of the Plan for Jobs, including the DWP Youth Offer and the Kickstart Scheme.
Official Labour Market Statistics are produced by the ONS. The latest data (Feb-April ’22) shows that 455,000 young people are unemployed, this is a decrease of 7,000 on the previous quarter and a decrease of 59,000 compared to pre-pandemic levels (Dec-Feb ’20).
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs that were created by the Kickstart Scheme were lost when the scheme ended.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout and after its implementation and will continue to evaluate the longer-term outcomes for Kickstart participants after they have completed their six-month jobs. This will include an estimate of the young people that remained employed (either with their Kickstart employer or moving into a job with a different employer), as well as the number of young people no longer in employment upon leaving a Kickstart role.
The evaluation will include surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants and of employers and gateway organisations. The fieldwork for the commissioned evaluation will continue until at least 2023.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the total number of work placements provided by the Kickstart Scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 5 June 2022, over 163,000 Kickstart jobs had been started by young people. The last Kickstart jobs were started by young people on 31 March 2022.